Dodging Time
by Vestal Virgin
Summary: A Paris and Kim friendship story. When a peaceful society begins unraveling, Paris, Kim and Chakotay are caught in the crossfire. This was written for VAMB's Secret Summer 2014 exchange. The story takes place between Unimatrix Zero and Drive (by production).


_**DISCLAIMER: Star Trek: Voyager and characters belong to Paramount/CBS.**_

_**A/N: A special thank you KJaneway115 for the beta. All errors are mine alone, since I tend to keep tweaking after she has finished.**_

The ground shattered less than fifty meters away, and shards of rock rained down on Lieutenant Tom Paris as he dove for cover. His only shelter from the explosions was the clay pillars that coated him in a fine layer of dust with each detonation. When the earthen rain stopped, he looked behind him for the other members of the away team.

Ensign Harry Kim took advantage of the lull and inched toward Tom, his progress slowed by the fact that he could only propel himself forward with elbows and toes. He kept the rest of his body flattened to minimize his chances of becoming a target for the Greb rebels.

Tom's comm badge beeped, and the commander's barely audible words came through. "Chakotay to Paris."

"Paris here. Please keep it short and sweet, Commander, or this hunk of dirt I'm behind won't do me any good."

"Not just you, Tom. I'm pinned down. What's your position?"

Tom heard the note of urgency in the whispered question. "Two hundred meters due southwest of the shuttle."

"And Ensign Kim?"

"Right behind me. We've taken cover for now. I'm hoping they run out of grenades soon."

"I'm trapped in that abandoned mine shaft the Prime Minister showed us this morning. There are at least ten hostiles combing the area around me."

"Then you're about 500 meters to our west."

The unmistakable sound of phaser fire crackled from Tom's comm badge. He waited, wondering if he would next hear a voice, or the thud of a body falling.

Tom let out the breath he'd been holding when Chakotay asked, "Can you make it here?"

"In one piece?"

"In one piece, Tom, and that's an order."

"Yes, sir. One rescue coming up."

"Contact me when you have the mine entrance in sight. And, find out what's happening with the transporters. Chakotay out."

Tom noticed that Harry had taken cover behind the yellow column to his left. He motioned for Harry to stay put, then tapped his comm badge. "Paris to Voyager."

"Janeway here."

Anything else she might have said was lost in the blast of another explosion, this time closer and behind Tom and Harry's position. They each curled in a ball, their hands protecting their heads from the flying debris. Tom felt a sting in the back of his left arm and guessed a piece of rock must have sliced through his uniform.

As the ringing in his ears quieted, he heard, "Respond. Lieutenant Paris, please respond." In full command mode, Janeway's firm voice finally shook him out of his daze.

"Here, Captain," he answered quietly, hoping she would take the hint. "We're taking heavy fire, and Chakotay is trapped. Any chance of a transport?"

"B'Elanna and Seven are still working on cutting through the atmospheric interference. Injuries?"

"No, ma'am." He didn't know how badly his arm was lacerated, and nothing could be done about it anyway. "The commander is in the mine shaft, pinned down by a group of rebels. Harry and I are making our way to get him out."

The pause told him that Janeway didn't like the idea but knew it was their only course of action at the moment.

"I'm sending Tuvok and a security team in a shuttle."

"That would be risky. The Greb have advanced weapons - phaser rifles, concussive grenades, plasma charges. If they have..."

Tom's words ended abruptly as he flew through the air, tossed like a rag doll when the ground blew apart just in front of his cover. He landed in a heap behind Harry, his shoulder and hip taking the brunt of the blow before his head bounced off the rocky soil. He groaned once and then lay still.

"Tom!" Harry scrambled to his friend and bent over him, trying to shield him and check his injuries at the same time. Harry realized that Tom's link with the ship must have been severed, and frantically tapped his own comm badge.

"Kim to Voyager!"

"Harry, what happened?" Janeway demanded.

"Tom's unconscious, Captain. He has a pulse, but he's bleeding from multiple wounds."

"Can you move him to safety?"

"I don't have a choice but to try. We're too exposed here."

He listened to Janeway issuing orders to the bridge crew before she continued, "I'm sending help."

"What about Commander Chakotay?" Harry was torn between assisting Tom and following Chakotay's order to help get him out of the mine.

"He'll have to make do. Once the security team descends below the atmosphere, the shuttle's transporters can beam you and Tom aboard, and send help to Chakotay. Get Tom to a safer position and stay put. I'll contact the commander."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Janeway out."

***V*V***

Captain Janeway paced the bridge as she waited for word from Tuvok in the shuttle. With her senior officers caught in a firefight, the familiar twinge of guilt settled in her gut. It had been her decision to let them go. The Greb government had been delighted to trade goods for information from _Voyager's_ travels, and the people had all been friendly. An advanced society, the culture was used to aliens roaming in their midst.

After five days of negotiations, shore leave, and dignitaries visiting the ship, Janeway had seen no reason to deny the requests for this final visit before _Voyager_ broke orbit. Chakotay had wanted to tour a museum of natural history in the capital city. Kim had requested permission to visit a mining operation to learn more about their extraction technology. Paris had seen a perfect opportunity to test the new _Delta Flyer II's_ impulse thrusters.

Janeway clenched her fists at her side as she glared at the view screen, angry with herself for putting her staff in jeopardy, and at the Greb for not informing her of the possible risks. Only after Chakotay had contacted her about the rebel group firing on the away team had the officials admitted to increasing civil unrest on their planet.

At first, Tom had reported to the commander only that he and Harry were being tailed by a group of citizens. It was while Chakotay was making his way from the city toward Tom and Harry that the attacks had begun, and the commander had taken cover in the nearby mine shaft, while Tom and Harry had been caught in the open. The society's friendly front had caused them all to grow complacent about one major fact: nothing in the Delta Quadrant was truly safe.

Janeway slapped her comm badge, giving only a fleeting thought to the bruise she'd probably have. She updated Chakotay on the situation over a background accompaniment of phaser fire and distant rebel voices. With each echoed noise through the comm link, her pacing slowed, her hands gripped her hips more tightly, and the lines around her eyes deepened. Finally, she stopped and rubbed her forehead.

"Any injuries, Commander?"

"I'll be okay until the reinforcements get here."

"That tells me that you're hurt."

"I'm fine, Captain," he clipped.

Only Ensign Jenkins at _Voyager's _helm saw Janeway's raised eyebrow and heard her voice soften even in the quiet exchange. "Have it your way, Chakotay. We'll get you out of there soon."

His answer matched her tone. "Yes, ma'am. I would leave the light on, but that'll only attract the pests."

The corner of Janeway's mouth lifted, and she looked down at her feet to hide her reaction. After a couple of seconds, she signed off, raised her eyes to the innocuous view of the planet, and returned to her command chair where she could monitor the sensors.

She turned to Lieutenant Ayala at Ops. "No word from the Prime Minister yet?"

"No, ma'am."

"Hail him again."

"Opening hailing frequency. He's responding."

"On screen." Janeway pushed herself to her feet again and stepped forward. The view screen changed to show an alien with gray mottled skin and white hair seated behind a wide desk. His elongated face and black, almond-shaped eyes looked back at her with the friendly expression she had trusted just hours ago. "Prime Minister Nur," Janeway greeted with a nod.

"Captain Janeway. I didn't expect to hear from you again so soon."

"Soon? Prime Minister, it has been almost an hour since I informed you of the danger my people are in. What is being done?"

"Captain, you must understand. I cannot just send armed soldiers out against Greb citizens on a whim. Our laws do not allow it. The council is being gathered, and in fact all but two members have already arrived. The meeting will begin as soon as the last two members are located, and they will all be informed of the situation. If the council votes to allow the use of police force, then we will send a battalion to the area."

"My crewmen could be dead by then, Prime Minister."

The look of sympathy on the man's face seemed genuine. "I understand your concern. You must understand mine, though. We are a peaceful society. At least, we were." He almost sounded embarrassed. "I realize that our way of doing things is not very effective in the face of these rebel attacks, but my hands are tied by our laws. Until we have altered those laws, I must abide by them as they are written."

Janeway took a deep breath to calm herself. "I understand. I should inform you that I have sent one of my shuttles with a security team to the surface."

The alien nodded and looked away, then clasped his four-fingered hands together on top of the desk and looked back at her. "Captain, it is my duty to inform you that as a visiting race on our world, you have the right granted by our government to ensure the safety and comfort of your people. We have never faced this situation before, and I think in this instance I can assign that right to the use of force by your own security. Make no mistake, though. If you should overstep the bounds by harming citizens not openly armed against you, or if it is determined that you are using excessive force, I can send my troops against you and your crew without the council's approval. Those aggressors may be a rebel faction on the fringe of our society, but they are still citizens of Greb."

Janeway's stance relaxed and she forced a small smile. "Thank you, Prime Minister Nur. I will inform Commander Tuvok. I don't want to be in the middle of your civil unrest, nor do I wish to cause unnecessary harm. I only want my crew back so that we can be on our way."

Nur glanced at a data screen on the corner of his desk, and then stood up. "The councilmen have all arrived and are ready to begin the meeting. I will let you know their decision as soon as I can."

"Thank you." Janeway motioned for Ayala to end the link, sat down in her command chair, and did the only thing she could do - wait.

***V*V***

Harry ran his hands down Tom's sides and legs, checking for broken bones and tracking the bleeding. He found the cut on Tom's arm, a few along his legs and left side, and a knot above his temple. Harry breathed a sigh of relief that nothing seemed to bend or move that shouldn't.

He tapped Tom's cheek. "Tom. Tom, it's Harry. I need you to wake up. Come on, Paris."

Tom remained unresponsive, so Harry searched for the nearest cover. A large boulder laid about seven meters behind them, if they could get to it. Harry carefully rolled Tom to his back and straightened out his legs. As Harry squatted to grab under Tom's arms, phaser fire hit the nearest dirt column, spraying both officers with yellow sand and grit. Harry dropped to his knees and shielded Tom's face from the stinging rain. Fumbling for his phaser, he crouched over Tom's body and fired back, striking an advancing rebel in the chest. The shot drove the alien backward into a second man, and Harry fired again. Both Greb lay where they fell with no sign of movement.

Harry grabbed Tom's arms and started dragging him backward toward the boulder. With a couple of meters left to go, Tom regained consciousness and snatched his arms away from Harry, struggling and disoriented.

"Tom, stop! It's me, Harry! Calm down, it's just me."

Tom stopped struggling and squeezed his eyes shut, groaning, "What happened?"

"You were knocked out for a few minutes. We have to get behind that rock. Tuvok is on his way with help."

"The shuttle. The captain - I was talking to the captain."

"Right."

"Chakotay?"

"The captain said for us to stay put until the shuttle can transport us out. The security team will transport to the area around the mine and retrieve Chakotay." Harry's face tightened as he surveyed around them. "It's too quiet."

"That's a good thing," Tom said as he sat up. Stifling a yelp of pain, he grabbed his left hip, feeling the telltale stickiness of blood on his uniform.

Harry clasped Tom's shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"Doesn't matter, we need to get moving while it _is_ quiet." It took a couple of tries, but he managed to roll to his hands and knees to start crawling.

"Keep going. I'm right behind you." Harry stayed on his feet, as low to the ground as he could get, so he could watch for more rebels. The silence bothered him. "We've been under an almost constant barrage since this started. Why do you think they've stopped?"

"Maybe they ran out of ammo. Maybe they're planning an ambush."

The officers dropped to the ground at the whine of a torpedo overhead. Tracing its path, they realized that the rebels' target had shifted from them to the shuttle high overhead. The craft's shields flared a split second before the return phaser fire arced toward the east. The rocky ground rumbled as dust and smoke billowed upward.

Harry slapped the bottom of Tom's boot. "Go! Go! We need to get out of sight while we can. They won't be able to beam us out until they can drop the shields."

Tom talked while he crawled. "That's what I was trying to tell Captain Janeway, that we didn't know if the rebels had access to ground-to-air weapons."

"Well, now we know." Phaser fire continued to streak through the air in both directions as Tom and Harry finally made it to the boulder and hid behind it. In a brief lull, Harry heard the sound of smaller phasers in the distance. "That's coming from where Chakotay is," he told Tom.

"There's nothing we can do about it now."

Harry's comm badge beeped.

"Commander Tuvok to Ensign Kim."

"Kim here, sir."

"Ensign, we have a lock on you and Lieutenant Paris. As soon as we are able to drop the shields, we will beam you out. Is the lieutenant stable?"

"He's awake but injured. We're hidden for now, but I don't know for how long. All of the attention seems to be on you at the moment."

"The Doctor is on the shuttle. We have disabled their torpedoes. Their weapons are inferior and pose minimal threat to our shields. We should be able to disable their phaser banks quickly. When we can drop shields, I will lead the security team to retrieve Commander Chakotay. The mine shaft is too deep in the mountainside to transport him out. Mr. Paris will be beamed aboard to the Doctor, and you and Ensign Baytart will beam aboard the Delta Flyer to pilot it back to Voyager. "

"Understood, sir. We're awaiting transport."

"Commander Tuvok out."

Harry turned back to Tom to find him sitting with his back against the rock, his head slumped forward. Harry reached out to Tom's arm, but got no response. "Tom. Tom!" Harry shook his friend's shoulder and finally heard a weak moan. "Tom, look at me."

Tom turned his head slightly but couldn't raise it.

"Come on, don't do this to me, Paris!" Harry eased Tom to the ground and felt his pulse. It was weaker than before, and Tom's eyes didn't seem to be focusing. When Harry leaned over to listen to Tom's chest, he spotted the circle of blood staining the ground.

***V*V***

Chakotay spun to his right around a corner and bit back a cry when his arm bumped the tunnel wall. He knew his right arm had been broken when he had tumbled through an old access hatch that gave way underneath him. It had taken him ten minutes to climb back up a rotting ladder and out of the narrow well. He almost wished he had stayed in it, because all he'd been doing since then was ducking enemy fire and running from one tunnel to the next.

With only one working hand, he couldn't use his tricorder to locate the rebels. To do so would mean holstering his phaser, and with the Greb operating on a shoot-first policy, he couldn't afford to be without his weapon for even a second. That also meant that he couldn't plot the best way out of the mines. He had begun to figure out the alien signs posted at intervals along the shafts, at least enough to recognize the symbols for a rising or descending tunnel. He had to go up to get out, so he followed the rises when he wasn't dodging phaser blasts.

Pressing himself into an alcove in the rock, Chakotay paused to catch his breath. He massaged the shoulder of his broken arm, attempting to ease the ache. Not that he thought it would really help; the gesture provided only a mild placebo effect, but he did it anyway. As he rested, he thought back over the information he had learned from the Greb rebels.

Sound echoed in the stone tunnels, and Chakotay had overheard a conversation while he was hidden around a corner from two Greb who had stopped to speak to each other. He had heard them discuss the progress of the attack outside, and finally learned the reason for it. The rebel force was a faction of society that felt their government regulated the society too strictly. While on the surface the laws appeared to maintain peace and foster advancement, in reality they stifled individuality and personal freedoms. A year prior, a chosen group of representatives had approached the government for permission to set up an autonomous society on a sparsely populated island in Greb's only ocean. Their concerns, wishes and carefully constructed plans had been presented during a three-day hearing, at the end of which the ruling council had taken less than two hours to summarily dismiss the group and ordered them to return to their homes and work.

Feeling they had no other options, the rebels had secretly continued meeting and planning, and had begun to stockpile outdated and discarded weapons and technology from cities around the planet. This was the reason _Voyager's_ away team found themselves fighting to stay alive. The attack offered two opportunities for the hostile force: one was a show of force to push the government into paying attention to them, and the other was the opportunity to secure the _Delta Flyer_ and hopefully reverse engineer some of the technology.

Paris, Kim, and Chakotay stood in their way, and by extension so did _Voyager_ as long as the three officers remained alive. The rebel leader thought that if the 'alien visitors' could be done away with quickly, he could steal the shuttle craft and hide it before anyone could react, then simply wait out Captain Janeway until she gave up the search and left Greb space.

Chakotay smiled when he recalled that last part. These people clearly didn't know his captain. He listened for movement and then stepped out of the alcove, moving up the rocky incline as stealthily and quickly as he could.

***V*V***

"Paris, look at me!" Harry held Tom's head steady, watching his eyes for recognition.

Tom settled his gaze on Harry's face and slowly blinked. "Hip. Bleeding," he gasped.

"I can see that. I think you're going into shock, and you might have a concussion."

"Go help Chakotay."

"No, I'm staying here. Tuvok has a lock on us as soon as he can drop shields."

Tom's brow furrowed. "Tuvok? What's he doing here?"

Harry's worry increased at Tom's confusion. "You remember, the captain sent a shuttle down to get us out. The Doctor is on it, too."

"Are we on the ship?"

"Not yet. Soon." Tom's eyelids drooped, and Harry tapped his shoulder. "Tom, wake up. You can't go to sleep yet."

"Where's B'Elanna?"

"She's on Voyager still attempting to get through the planet's interference."

"Was she hurt?"

"No, she's fine. She's waiting for you."

Tom tried to shake his head, but only pushed weakly into Harry's hands. "Don't let her wait."

"What are you talking about? Don't let her wait for what?"

"Me. I can't make it to the Flyer. Leave me here."

"No one is leaving you, Tom. All you have to do is hang on for the transport."

"Too late." Tom's eyes closed again, and Harry couldn't shake him awake again.

Frantically, Harry opened Tom's jacket and pressed his ear to his friend's chest. When he couldn't hear anything, he ripped Tom's shirt open and listened again. Faint, irregular, but the heartbeat was there, as were the sounds of shallow breathing.

Harry kept two fingers pressed to Tom's pulse and hailed Tuvok. When the Vulcan answered, Harry shouted, "I'm losing him! Get us out of here!"

"Stand by, Mr. Kim."

Harry listened to Tuvok order the Doctor to the transporter controls. While Tuvok continued talking to the shuttle crew, Harry got into a crouched position and wrapped his arms around Tom's shoulders, supporting his head.

"We will drop shields in approximately five seconds. Tuvok out."

Three explosions rocked the ground in rapid succession, and a few seconds later Harry felt the tingle of a transporter beam. The Doctor hovered over them as soon as Tom and Harry materialized in the shuttle. After scanning Tom with a tricorder, he directed Harry to help lift Tom onto the bench seat.

Tuvok summoned Harry as soon as they had set Tom down. "Mr. Kim, transport myself and the security officers to the surface, on the road leading to the mine. Afterward, you are to head immediately for Voyager so that the Doctor may treat Mr. Paris in sickbay. We will retrieve Commander Chakotay and the Delta Flyer."

"Yes, sir. Thank you for getting us out."

"You are welcome, Ensign. Let us hope the Prime Minister will not consider the destruction of a main power grid near his city to be a use of excessive force."

Tuvok joined the four security officers in the back of the shuttle, and Harry initiated transport. As soon as sensors showed the team on the surface, Harry banked the craft into a climb and set a course for _Voyager_ in orbit.

Harry called over his shoulder, "Doc, how's Tom?"

"I have stabilized him, but he needs surgery. I take it he suffered a blow to his left side?"

"He was thrown through the air by a concussive charge. He landed on that side."

"That would be consistent with his injuries. He chipped part of his iliac crest, has a moderate concussion, and a torn ligament in his shoulder, as well as some internal bleeding. I imagine he has been in considerable pain."

The shuttle exited Greb's atmosphere, and Harry hailed the ship. "Kim to Voyager."

"Go ahead, Ensign," Janeway answered.

"Tom's condition turned critical. Can you transport him and the Doctor to sickbay?"

"I have a lock," Ayala answered. "Transporting now."

The two men disappeared from the shuttle, and Janeway spoke again. "What about the security team?"

"They're at the mine. As soon as they extract the commander, they'll return in the Flyer. Ensign Baytart and I will be approaching in less than two minutes."

"Report to my ready room when you have docked, Mr. Kim."

"Aye, Captain. Kim out."

***V*V***

Chakotay shielded his eyes from the sunlight beaming into the tunnel opening. He could hear the voices of at least four rebels right outside. For the moment, he had the element of surprise, but his first shot would alert them to his presence. Pressing his back against the rough-cut wall, he shifted his grip on the phaser and wondered how much time he had before one of them re-entered the shaft. He was exposed on three sides with nowhere to go but out.

The voices grew louder and then turned into shouts. Chakotay heard the word "human" and the sharp slap of boot heels just before three of the rebels fell to the ground in front of the entrance. The fourth alien reeled through the opening, clutching his thigh, and his eyes widened as Chakotay fired. Tuvok jogged into the tunnel and spun toward Chakotay, then lowered his phaser when he recognized the commander.

"Are there more?" Tuvok asked.

"Yes, but I'm not sure where. I couldn't put my weapon away to use the tricorder, not that it works well in here anyway."

"You are injured?"

"Broken arm. Both legs are fine, though, so let's get going."

Tuvok led Chakotay out of the tunnel, the two of them taking the lead with the four security officers bringing up the rear. They were halfway down the mine access road when Lieutenant Andrews and Crewman Jarvis turned and fired behind them. Three Greb rebels had sprinted out of the mine toward the group. One of them went down from a phaser blast, tripping up a second. The third rebel returned fire and narrowly missed Andrews, before Jarvis took down the alien and then phasered the remaining rebel struggling to regain his footing.

The six officers reached the bottom of the mountain and set a steady pace toward the _Delta Flyer_. Sweat beaded on Chakotay's brow and dripped down his temples, and his stomach protested the excruciating pain in his arm. He holstered his phaser and cradled his elbow with his good hand, trying to stabilize the bones from his jarring trot. He concentrated on his breathing and attempted to blank out his mind, focusing only on a small patch of yellow sand ahead of each footstep, and trusting the others to keep him safe.

The _Delta Flyer_ came into view, and Tuvok waved two of the security officers ahead of the group to scout for hostiles. It seemed that the destruction done earlier had been thorough, because the only commotion was off in the distance near the smoke and flames engulfing the rebel weapons site and nearby power supply. Within minutes, the team boarded the shuttle, hastily brought the systems online, and lifted off toward _Voyager_.

***V*V***

Harry left the captain's ready room and entered the lift, ordering it to deck six. Tired, dirty, and concerned for Tom, he had struggled to give Janeway a coherent report on what had transpired on Greb. He planned stop by his quarters for a sonic shower and clean clothes, then go to sickbay to check on his friend. The captain had informed him that Ensign Wildman was called in to assist the Doctor, and it would take some time for Tom's numerous injuries to be treated.

On deck six Harry walked toward his quarters, and his thoughts strayed to B'Elanna. He stopped and leaned back against the corridor wall, tilting his head back with a groan. He should have contacted her already about Tom, unsure if anyone else had yet. Taking a deep breath, and wishing he could slide down to the floor for just a few minutes' rest, he tapped his comm badge to call B'Elanna. When she answered, he resumed the walk to his quarters while he talked.

Three hours later, Harry stood at Tom's bedside in sick bay and watched his friend's eyes flutter open.

"Harry."

"Hey. I stopped by to see how you're doing."

"Tired, but I'm okay. You?"

"Tired. Unlike you, I haven't had a nap yet."

Tom smiled. "All you need is a little brain swelling and blood loss. You should try it sometime."

"No thanks. I've already died once, remember?"

"Just once? It seems like more."

Harry laughed. "It does, doesn't it? I've lost count of who is supposed to be dead and how many times."

"Well, you haven't been a lizard yet, so I've got you there."

"Yeah, you mated with the captain and still ended up with only the chief engineer."

Tom looked up at the ceiling and ran his fingers through his hair. "Man, do we have some stories to tell our kids someday."

"Are things that serious with B'Elanna?" Harry asked with surprise.

Tom was quiet for moment before he looked back at Harry. "Yeah, I guess they could be."

"She was worried about you. She demanded to know every little detail about what happened." Harry's eyes shifted over Tom's shoulder and then to the medical tray pushed against the wall.

"What else did she say?"

"She's angry with herself that she couldn't get us out before you and Chakotay were hurt."

"Figures," Tom sighed. "B'Elanna hates it when she can't get something to work, no matter how outrageous that something is. Where is she?"

"Chakotay finally talked her into going to the mess hall with him. She was here until about twenty minutes ago."

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"Taking care of me on the planet. Looking after her for me."

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Doc and Tuvok are the ones that saved you."

"Yeah, but you were there with me the whole time."

"I guess this means our hoverball match tonight is off."

"Only postponed for a couple of days. Don't think you're getting off easy because I'm hurt."

"I'll reschedule, and add my win on the score sheet."

"Your win?"

"You're forfeiting tonight's game, so that means I win."

"Postponed, Harry, only postponed."

"Which is technically still forfeiting. So I win."

"Geez! A guy almost dies, and you want the gain from it."

"Almost doesn't count."

"Surely my heart stopped at some point."

"Nope, you had a heartbeat the whole time. Faint, irregular, but it was there. I heard it. So I win."

"That reminds me, Harry. You owe me a shirt."

"Use your own rations, Paris."

"You ripped it."

"Trying to find out if you were dead or not!"

"I'm not dead, so I need a new shirt."

Harry and Tom stared at each other, grinning widely at their verbal exchange. Finally, Harry said, "What the hell, it's only rations."

"Thanks, Harry."

"What are friends for, Tom?"


End file.
